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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · kick · bat · prune · object · key · wax · pit

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — an aim
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — in a race
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com